Almost every container which has a cover hingedly attached thereto is provided with some type of latch mechanism to secure the cover to the container. The complexity and other needs of such latch mechanisms are, in part, dependent upon the amount of security desired. Where a container is rather large, for example, of a size that a small child could get into the container and have it accidentally latched from the outside, it is desirable that the latch be provided with a safety override feature such that the entrapped child could release the latch by applying upward pressure to the cover from within the container.
Certain prior latches for containers of this kind have had complicated mechanisms and have required springs to apply tension to hold the latch in a latched or unlatched position. Some prior constructions have also required a movable element to position the latch in its latched or unlatched positions. The present improved latch assembly is in itself utilized as a handle to move the latch to open and closed positions. Moreover, most prior safety latches are difficult to install or assemble, requiring the need for mechanical fasteners or the like.
One such safety latch is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,715 wherein the latch assembly is mounted within a recess in the container cover by pivots on a bracket detachably secured within the recess. The mounting operation is not only awkward but requires mechanical fasteners. Moreover, when mounted, a portion of the latch handle projects outwardly from the sides of the container where it can be accidentally bumped or struck to open the cover. In addition, the camming action required to latch or unlatch the mechanism promotes the wearing of parts having high tolerance requirements thereby resulting in an early failure of the latch.